Quick-release air valve



March 2, 1954 w so 2,670,751

QUICK-RELEASE AIR VALVE Filed Sept. 12, 1950 IN V EN TOR.

John Hart wflsan l 4. BY

I 17k ////r/// 9 944M Patented Mar. 2, 1954 Joni; ira; I

si-This-invention.Eiat s ipg l ic fast and: more particularly to a quiclgrelea a y ve structure also, known as l a. dump val whims;

used-tin fluid pressureopem sd sy temslwhe'reiii were complicatedin construction, not dependable inoperation. and could not withstand the rigor- .ous, "continuous use to which. sl hvjy l yfisrlfill often subjected. p I The present valve .is.. simple, in, construction, the interior parts thereoimay ,b.e .asseihb edan disassembled without removal vofsithe gl eilve body from the. line in the system, and the working parts repaired and replaced readily andjn a vei'y short time An object of this malt-ismsiaftityia g quicl; release valvethat may be accurately controlled by the application Vof,or .the release of air intermediate theesourcelandhthe quiclgrr 1 se -v'alv'e, so as to produce the. release: Qf 1 1 111k of the air frommthe. device .being\Operatedwitn --u-t-the airhaving to find its way back through the entire 3 system to the, pointirom. whence wasinltroduced. Anot her object of this invention isjto providea iit quick release air valve thatjis remctelyicqntrqlle t and that is capable of. releasing-Jail.zfromj the system in theshortestpossible interval of time, "upon releasing of the air in the line intermediatesthe nontrolwalveaand the quic Another object of is to provjide a quick release valvei'having the air outlet pa ssageso shaped as tondirect the ainoutward therefrom- 'v'vith a minimum "of :turbulence' andi. back pressure in:the.shortesfipossible;time.-;-;

A'Stm further bject 10f fthis inventimi i provide a--qiiick releaseraiiflvalve that has are- {moyable seat. or sealing :element: held-11in pljajce aj'spring so that the:seat"mayrbeqeasilyand readily replaced without removing thevalve'body, 1; from the piping or-without replacing anyother part of the'valves .1 a

as clutches. or the like, wherein the weight of QUIQK-EELEASEAIRV-QLYE. ff Wilson, wmuiter u; lj'ex'.

l 9 1? used in conjunction with rotating elements such i Applicatiomsepteniber 12, 1950,:S erial No. 1s4,47o

e ai r valvefiwhenrotatedat -high' s'pee may tend at throwthe clutch or fly wheel- 7 oiit of alarice,;there f0reit is preferablethat the-valve be 'inade of light weight material, such as aluminum or the'like', Two or more or these vaive's may be so positioned as to dynamically balance t t t Y :".t: f Th'e" in'vention'will best be understood from the following detailed'description constituting a specification of the same when takeniri corijunction with the accompanying drawings, in w h:

v ig. .1 is an end elevational View 0ft patstendofthvawg" 7 Fig'. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the"line 2 -2 ofFig' 1, l0oking the direction indicated by the arrows, with certain parts shown in elevation and with parts brok'eri away to illustrate thedetails of construction', 'and with portions shown in dashedoutline to' show relativemovement" oficertainparts thereof? I A Fig. 3 is a View of the invention somewhat' s'imil ar to 2,'but showing the air exhaust passage of the valve 'closedf and with the "piston shown in :full outline during the filling fof the ai r actuated elements; and with the piston shown in dashed outline preparatory to exhausting the air;- a r 315 1 a fragmentaryfietailed view showing the const' uction oi.the .flutes in the exhaust end hevel i Loire detailed. reference 'to'the drawing e numeral l. designateslavalve" body having lair; r letipassagej} formed in one portion thereof and-a passage '3 for directing the air into the a par-atus w itljflwhich "the valve is" used. 5 Y

The gvalvefbody IT has, outwardly protruding threadedeonnections 4 and 5 for connection with the air system and {for connection with the ape0; zparatus with whichithe' quick release air valve is t heqused, so asto connect the inlet passage 2 -,,and the passage 3 fwith'thei'r' respective con uits. The valve'body is lcount'erbored, as, i dicated at 5 treceive the slidingfvalve stein 1' andithe spring pressed piston't which is sli'clably mounted on yalve stem 1'. "The valve stem T is hollow and'h as lateral openings" 5 in 'thesicles thereof, which openings are adapted to form ajf 'sleeve ;;valvefor closing actio'nwithfthe inlet passage 2 v. hen in positionas shown in Fig. 2,}a'r'id'j'to iorn passage into" counterbore 8 and through ed; I1"

passage 3 was deyi'ce t'oij beope a :esi-z i i et f F stem '1 has a marine 'l't'ti'ierarounaseas to retain sliding piston 8 in place on valve stem I.

ing of the O-ring to the valve.

A shoulder II is provided on the valve stem 7 near the discharge end thereof for complementary engagement with piston 8, to enable the piston B and valve stem 1 to be moved against tension of spring l2 to seat upon O-ring it that is spring pressed by spring 12 into the recess l4 formed within the closure nut l5 that closes the end of the counterbore 6. The flutes l6 protrude outward from the valve stem 7 and are guided Within bore ll of the closure nut 15, as will best be seen in Figs. 1 and 3.

The stem 1 has a beveled face l8 that forms a complementary seat with O-ring I3 to seal off the exhaust passage while directing the air into the device to be actuated thereby.

The spring I2 also retains the O-ring within the seat, when the valve is in exhaust position. The spring l2 thereby serves the double purpose of returning the sliding piston 8 to the inlet end of the valve, and of retaining the O-ring in place, which eliminates the cementing or bond- The cementing or bonding of valve seats in place has been found to be very unsatisfactory due to the ocment or bond breaking and causing leaks thereunder and therearound. By having the valve seat or O-ring element pressed in by a spring it is possible to quickly remove and replace the O-ring seat element without having to wait for cement to dry, or to replace a major part to which the seat may be bonded, r cemented.

Operation When the valve body I is installed with the threaded connection connected to the apparatus to be actuated by air pressure, and the threaded connection 4 connected to the air inlet pipe, the valve, when not being used or when exhausting, will normally be in the position as shown in Fig. 2, in full outline. Upon the application of air the valve stem 1 will move against tension of the spring i2 to uncover ports 9, which will permit air to pass into bore it in the inlet end of the valve body, which air will direct pressure against piston 8 to move it against shoulder ll, and at the same time cause an increased pressure against valve stem 7 to move it into seating position as shown in Fig. 3, to close the air exhaust passage.

By releasing air from the air inlet line which is connected with passage 2, the pressure on the inlet side of the piston 8 will be less than on the opposite side, and this will move piston 8 toward the inlet end of the valve to engage lock ring 19, which is secured to valve stem 1, and causes the valve stem 7 to move toward the inlet end of the valve until shoulder I engages shoulder 2 in complementary seating relation, thus shutting on the connection to the inlet line, and at the same time, moves the valve face 18 away from seat 13 to permit air from a clutch or other air actuated element to pass quickly through passage 3, counterbore 6, and between valve face l8 and seat [3, through flutes l6 and or other air actuated element as quickly as possible, and if one air exhaust valve installed in close proximity to the device is not suflicient, two or more such valves installed in series or in parallel will work equally well and be more effective than a single valve.

It is to be understood that the rubber seating element may be made comparatively large in comparison to the valve stem and requires no cementing to seal it in place, as the ring is retained in place by a spring which enables it to be readily removed.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A quick release fluid pressure valve mechanism comprising a casing provided with an inlet port, an outlet port and an exhaust port, a valve in-said casing movable axially therein to control flow through said inlet and exhaust ports to alternatively establish communication between said inlet port and said outlet port and between said outlet port and said exhaust port, an annular piston valve element surrounding said valve and operable to shut off communication between said inlet port and said outlet port before communication is established between said outlet port and said exhaust port and mechanically independently of said valve actuation, a resilient annular seating ring in said casing, disposed against the inner wall thereof and around said exhaust port, a spring surrounding said movable valve, one end of said spring being seated on said resilient seating ring to hold same in place and the other end of said spring being in bearing relation with said piston valve element to urge the latter toward inlet flow closing position,

2. A quick release fluid pressure controlled valve device comprising a valve body provided with substantially axially aligned inlet and exhaust ports at the respective opposite ends thereof and an outlet port disposed transversely of the body, substantially axial bores in the valve body adjacent the respective inlet and exhaust ends of the body and a valve member having its ends guided for reciprocation therein, an enlarged counterbore within the central portion of the body of greater diameter than the intermediate portion of the valve member to afford great capacity of flow for rapid charging and discharging of fluid through said valve device, means at one end of said valve member cooperating with the valve body adjacent the inlet end for controlling inlet flow into the body and thence to said transverse outlet port, an annular valve seat surrounding the inward end of the bore at the exhaust end of the body and a cooperating annular valving surface on the corresponding end portion of the valve member, means carried by said valve member subject to both the inlet flow pressure and the outlet pressure within said body and operable upon a predetermined diminution of inlet pressure relative to the outlet pressure to cut on communication between the inlet and outlet ports even before the valve member moves to close the inlet port and open the exhaust port, the end of said valve member which extends outwardly beyond the said annular valve seat and into the exhaust port guide bore being longitudinally fluted, the flutes having a radial depth which varies along a transition curve from full diameter of the valve mem ber adjacent the said exhaust valve surface to a' maximum depth at the exhaust port, thus affording exhaust dumping of great volume and with a minimum of turbulence.

3. The valve device as set forth in claim 2 in which said annular exhaust valve seat comprises a resilient O-ring disposed against the inner wall of the valve body around the exhaust bore, and the said pressure operable means carried by the valve member comprising an annular valve piston surrounding the valve member and movable along the latter into and out of an enlarged recess concentric with the inlet bore, and a spring surrounding said valve member and compressed between said O-ring and said annular piston to retain the O-ring in place and at the same time References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number bias the piston toward inlet flow closing position 15 within the recess.

JOHN HART WILSON.

Name Date Lawnin Mai. 26, 1912 Gleason 1- Aug. 27, 1929 Home May 3, 1942 Hoof Sept. 12, 1944 Barksdale Oct. 24, 1944 Hoof Mar. 13, 1945 Walsh Nov. 22, 1949 Callejo June 20, 1950 Ashton Oct. 10, 1950 Hecker Oct. 17, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Australia of 1927 Great Britain .of 1942 

